MARLBORO MAN FREE
The environment shown in the background is natural, free as well as challenging. The background seems to have been used as a tool to enhance on the adventure part. His overall look exudes assertiveness and builds an aura of style, glamour and adventure.The assertiveness aspect gets highlighted further by the object in his right hand which is a tool used by a cowboy to keep the horse under control. His facial expression and style of pose brings out an air of confidence to overcome any challenge. By the style of dressing, particularly the hat we can make out that the man is a cowboy. What we see in the first ad is the dominant visual of a macho hunk. In the first ad, the signifier here is the image of the male (popularly known as the Marlboro Man) as well as the physical environment. Let me apply this model to the 2 illustrated ads of Marlboro. A sign and its meaning will not be complete without the aforementioned 2 components. Semiotic analysis of the Marlboro ad sheds light on some these signs and their hidden meanings.Īccording to Saussure, a sign is composed of a signifier (the form which the sign takes) and a signified (the concept it represents).
MARLBORO MAN SERIES
It was then that the sun dawned on the Marlboro man and a series of illustrated advertisements, some of which are showcased above, were created.Īdvertising uses distinct signs to appeal to the human subconscious and send across the desired message. Leo Burnett was assigned the task of repositioning Marlboro as a men’s brand. Research conducted during that period also supported the move, indicating that men were increasingly pondering about making the switch from unfiltered to filtered cigarettes but were not comfortable being seen smoking a cigarette that was promoted towards women. The idea was to appeal to that male audience which was concerned about the harmful effects of smoking and was looking for a safer option. Philip Morris took this opportunity to reposition Marlboro as a men’s cigarette brand. But in the 1950s there was a huge uproar against smoking after various studies had been published, directly linking smoking to lung cancer. At that time, filter cigarettes were promoted as being ladylike.
Marlboro was launched as a cigarette brand for women in 1924. But this huge success stands on the foundation of a very interesting story. Marlboro is manufactured by Philip Morris USA and is the largest selling cigarette brand globally. The crew consists not only of experienced cowboys who work for the ranch or a neighboring outfit, but also local military families, friends from all over the United States and representatives from Roundup for Autism, a non-profit organization Bobby Norris started in 1988.The Marlboro Man is considered as one of the most iconic and impactful brand image of the past century.īefore I carry out the semiotic analysis of this ad campaign, let me provide some background regarding Marlboro. In the 1960s and ’70s, he was the first face of the “Marlboro Man” and appeared in numerous advertisements for the tobacco company.Īnd now, more than 50 years later and Bob in his mid-90s, family and friends continue to gather every year and at Colorado's Tee Cross Ranches for it's annual spring branding. He also served as a director for the National Cutting Horse Association and on the board of directors for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. He served as president of the American Quarter Horse Association in 1982 and in 2011 he received the AQHA Legacy Breeder Award for ranches that have bred Quarter Horses for 50 years or more. Through the years, he developed one of the largest Quarter Horse and Hereford cattle operations in Colorado, and became an active member of the horse industry and a philanthropist in his local community. He paid $50 for the T Cross brand, which was the first registered brand in Colorado. Robert "Bob" Norris, the original face of the "Marlboro Man," founded Tee Cross Ranch in 1950.
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